Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning) is renewing his call for the Climate Action Council (CAC) to address significant cost/affordability and reliability issues in their Draft Scoping Plan ahead of its final report set to come out on Monday, Dec. 19. The Climate Action Council has been tasked with implementing the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) to reach 100% emission-free generation. 

Palmesano has been an outspoken critic of the CLCPA and the Draft Scoping Plan. Palmesano has been joined by members of the Assembly Minority Conference in communicating with the Climate Action Council requesting important answers surrounding affordability and reliability with their draft scoping plan. If their plan is implemented, it is estimated that every homeowner would be on the hook for over $35,000 in costs to fully retrofit, convert and electrify their homes to meet the mandated specifications of the plan, which would prohibit seniors and families from replacing natural gas boilers, furnaces, hot water tanks, stoves and clothes dryers after 2030.

Palmesano authored legislation (A.7524) in 2021 that would require a full cost benefit analysis of the CLCPA before its full implementation. It is critically important that seniors, families, farmers, small businesses and manufactures know the true financial cost of Albany Majority’s climate plan. Palmesano also noted the CLCPA only impacts New York and New York contributes just 0.4% of total global emissions. This is while China contributes 29%, has over 1000 coal plants and is building more. 

“Do we really think China is going to partner with us to meet our clean energy mandates? We could get down to 0% emissions in New York and it will not make one impact on total global emissions, certainly not while China continues to build and rely on coal generation. However, we will decimate our state's economy in the process, while jeopardizing the reliability of the grid to keep the lights and heat on by putting all our energy needs in one basket based on full and costly electrification of our energy system,” said Palmesano

“The CLCPA will clearly have a wide-ranging impact on every aspect of our state’s economy. Some studies and estimates have shown the implementation of the CLCPA will cost hundreds of billions of dollars and will result in higher taxes, utility bills and expensive home and business retrofitting and conversion costs of full electrification for seniors, families, farmers, small businesses and manufacturers. 

“Clean and renewable energy should certainly be a part of our state’s energy portfolio and policy; however, affordability and reliability are of equal importance and must be addressed. It is imperative that a full and transparent cost benefit analysis take place to let our citizens know the true and total actual financial costs this will have on them, our business community and our state before moving forward with the full implementation of the CLCPA,” exclaimed Palmesano. “The CAC's Integration Analysis clearly did not provide these transparent details and cost impacts on ratepayers, families and businesses.”

In addition to legislation and previous letters expressing concerns to the CAC, Palmesano has testified about his concerns with the Draft Scooping Plans at public hearings. In October, he led his Minority colleagues in writing a letter to CAC Co-Chairs Basil Seggos, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Doreen Harris, President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and other members of the Climate Action Council citing their concerns with the aggressive plans put forth by the council. A copy of the letter is attached.

In the letter, Assembly Minority cite substantive reliability issues raised by both the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and New York State Reliability Council (NYSRC). The letter states their reliability concerns must be addressed. “Because the NYISO and NYSRC have actual responsibilities for keeping the lights on, we want to be assured their concerns are addressed clearly and transparently,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Our state is already in the midst of an affordability crisis. New York residents are shouldering one of the highest tax burdens in the country and everyone is feeling the pinch of record inflation with rising gas, grocery and energy prices, while Albany Majority lawmakers are pushing through a radical climate agenda that would financially devastate seniors, families, farmers, small businesses, manufacturers and our state's economy. Their plan will still not make an impact on global emissions, again since NY only contributes 0.4% of total emissions. We all want clean air and water, but New Yorkers also certainly need and deserve affordable and reliable energy sources to heat their homes and power their businesses.

“The Climate Action Council calls for a complete overhaul of our energy grid. Without a full accounting for the costs on residents and exact determination on grid reliability, we would only be failing the taxpayer and be putting thousands of New Yorkers in danger of power blackouts while continuing to see the exodus of families and businesses leaving New York,” concluded Palmesano.